The guests of the presentation gathered in one of Moscow’s restaurants have become witnesses of a literally historical event: for the first time in its 250-years history, the new Great Imperial Crown was created and presented to the public. The original was created for the coronation of Ekaterina II the Great, and the new jewellery marvel in many respects exceeds it by the characteristics: contemporary technologies made it possible to create a real masterpiece of the art of jewellery.

An unprecedented jewellery project has been implemented by Kristall Production Corporation and Smolenskye Brillianty Jewellery Group using Russian diamonds cut and polished in accordance with the ideal parameters of Triple Excellent quality.

The realization of this unique idea has been timed to coincide with the celebration of a whole fireworks of outstanding historical dates: the half-a-century Anniversary of the diamond cutting and polishing industry of Russia, the flagship of which being the Kristall Production Corporation, 10th Jubilee of the Smolenskye Brillianty Jewellery Group, as well as a number of national historic dates falling on the years of 2012 and 2013. Among them: the 250th Anniversary of the coronation of Ekaterina II Empress, 400th Anniversary of the Romanovs’ Dynasty, and the 200th Jubelee of the Patriotic War of 1812.

In an atmosphere of secret, under incessant control of dozens of guards, this magic of jewellery appeared before the public, actually blinding by  the sparkle and brilliance of its stones. The event turned to have an authentic majestic Russian sounding.

Acknowledged experts of the jewellery market participated in the presentation, including Mr. Maxim Shkadov, Director General of Kristall Production Corporation, President of the International Diamond Manufacturers Association (IDMA), who noted that the decision of creating a vintage piece of jewellery art has not just accidental. “The company will be 50 years old next year, and we wanted to mark this Jubilee by a significant jewellery chord. We strived to demonstrate the highest craftsmanship of the Russian jewellers. I think we have managed that. The value of this piece of art is impossible to estimate, as it is impossible to estimate the price of the starlight or of the sunshine. Most likely, the major international auction houses in course of time would name the value of this masterwork, that from year to year will only be growing. For certain, the Crown will remain in Russia, and will not be sold abroad. Its further faith is not known yet, although during the year ahead we are planning a museum tour over
the major exhibition venues of the country.”

Mr. Dmitry Kuntsev, director of Smolenskye Brillianty Jewellery Group, underlined that the brand-admirers will have the possibility to give a touch to the majestic glow of the Imperial Crown. First of all, the Smolenskye Brillianty showrooms will be included into the  museum tour of the Crown. Besides, the Jewellery Group is planning to lunch a special jewellery collection created in the imperial stylistics and inspired by the image of the Big Emperor’s Crown.

Mr. Vyatchslav Rayevsky, Production Director of the company, told the audience of the manufacturing secret and the differences of the new crown from the original. The original of the Big Emperor’s Crown is incrusted with 4926 diamonds. The Crown is topped by a rare gem of a vivid red colour; it is a noble spinelle weighing 398,72 carats. The work over the original crown lasted for two months and was performed without any high technologies.

More than 60 craftsmen from Smolensk have been working on the new jewellery masterpiece for more than half a year. The crown is made of white gold, incrusted with 11,000 polished diamonds of ideal cut and highest grading characteristics. A unique natural red tourmaline is fixed instead of the spinelle.

The press-conference was accomplished by an inspirational speech of Mr. Evgheny Gapanyuk, the chief keeper of the Diamond Fund of Russia. “You cannot force yourself to call this masterpiece as “a replica”. This is an independent work of jewellery art of the highest level, created in the atmosphere of evident love to Russia, and respect to its great history. One cannot but mention the magnificent vibrations of the Smolensk diamonds. And I congratulate this noble gathering with a truly historical moment, of which  we are today most fortunate witnesses.

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The Project

The Great Imperial Crown is a masterpiece that one may see only in the Diamond Fund of the Gokhran in Moscow. For many, to visit it may mean restrictions of time, geography and the price of the tickets. For as many people as possible could see and feel the grandeur and delicacy of the crown, a decision has been taken: to recreate it in a modern rendering. The authors did not charge themselves with the task to precisely reduplicate the original. This is impossible due to a number of reasons: the diamonds of the Zar Crown were polished in an ancient manner, it used silver -- not the very apposite material, but the main thing was that a mere copying would not allow to demonstrate the technological process and the highest level of mastery, that nowadays, have been achieved by the jewellers, the diamond cutters and polishers.

The creation and the presentation of the Great Imperial Crown in the present-day execution is a perfect possibility to demonstrate to the world community that the art of jewellery in Russia is at the leading positions globally, and is able to surpass even masterpieces of the past, to show how these masterworks could look with the today’s level of diamond cutting and polishing, with the use of new jewellery solutions.

By the preliminary estimates of the experts, the only cost of materials used in this jewellery wonder amounts more than 5 million US Dollars.

The Authors

In 1963, with the foundation of the Kristall factory, Russia has triumphantly returned to the world of luxury, and showed itself as the manufacturer of the best diamonds in the world.

Today, Kristall is a company with a global reputation, the leader of Russian polished diamond manufacturing. Only accompany of such power is able to put up and solve brave and ambitious tasks. However, the diamond is not the final product for he consumer, it needs a setting. Founded by Kristall 10 years ago, the Smolenskye Brillianty Jewellery Group has become a recognizable brand, whose visiting cards are ideal cut diamonds in a blameless setting. Smolenskye Brillianty view jewellery as high art.